Ikea Monkey Taken From Its Owner: A Look At Primate Pet Laws, State By State

A baby monkey that was found wandering around an IKEA store in Canada has been rescued from the lingonberry-scented labyrinth of Swedish furniture and placed in a wildlife refuge. The little monkey, who is named Darwin, will be packing his tiny shearling coat and heading to the Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary in Ontario.

Meanwhile, Darwin's owner, Yasmin Nakhuda, is getting slapped with a fine by the city of Toronto for keeping a prohibited animal.

Nakhuda said in an interview with CBC News on Tuesday that she has been talking to a lawyer to see if she can get Darwin back. But she isn't dead-set against losing him.

“If the sanctuary is able to convince me … that they are doing a better job, then for sure. Because everything has to be what’s best for him,” Nakhuda told CBC News.

Most primate experts would advise against getting a monkey as a pet, even if you aren't planning to take him to IKEA.

“Primates require professional, well-managed care,” advises the Wisconsin Primate Research Center. “They are susceptible to both transmitting diseases to humans and contracting diseases from humans.”

As a primate reaches sexual maturity, he or she will often become more aggressive and may start biting or fighting people to establish dominance. With larger primates, these displays can turn dangerous or even deadly.

The case of Charla Nash, who lost her face and hands after being mauled by a friend's 200-pound chimpanzee, blazed through headlines in 2009 and sparked the introduction of several bills to restrict or ban primate pet ownership across the country.

As it currently stands, there is no blanket federal rule on primate ownership in the U.S., though the U.S. Centers for Disease Control did put a stop to the commercial importing of primates in 1975. Without federal guidelines, regulations on keeping monkeys and apes as pets are a patchwork of state and local laws. Some states ban keeping primates outright, while others only prohibit certain species or require a permit.

If you're dead set on getting a monkey, you should probably start making plans to move to Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, or Texas, which are among the few U.S. states with little to no restrictions on pet primates.

Some states will make exceptions in their laws for helper monkeys, which are capuchins trained to assist disabled people. These monkeys can perform lots of everyday tasks, from turning on lights to changing CDs to feeding their companions.

Check out the list below to see where your state stands on monkey possession:

Arizona: No keeping orangutans, gorillas or chimpanzees as pets, unless you are moving into the state and already have one – then you must apply for a permit. Other kinds of primates can be kept, as long as the animals are healthy. (Ariz. Administrative Code R12-4-405; 4-426)

Arkansas: No regulations of monkey ownership.

California: Ban on private ownership of non-human primates, except for research and assistance animals and primates shown as parts of exhibitions. (California Code Regs. 14.671)

Connecticut: Against the law for people to possess “potentially dangerous animals,” including great apes. Primates weighing less than 35 pounds at adulthood and brought into the state before October 2003 are not banned. (Conn Gen. Stat. 26-40a)

Delaware: No possession of wild animals not found in Delaware without a permit. (Del. Code 3.7201)

Florida: Ban on owning chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and baboons unless the primate was in possession before August 1980. Smaller primates, including howler monkeys and macaques, may only be owned with a permit from the state. (Fla. Administrative Code Ann. 68A-6)

Oregon: Exotic pets, including nonhuman primates, were banned in 2010; residents that had permits for primates before law went into effect allowed to keep them. Service monkeys are exempt from the ban.

Vermont: Nonhuman primates and other animals cannot be possessed without a permit – but no personal possession permits for exotic pets are ever actually issued to individuals, according to animal advocacy group Born Free, making it an effective ban. (Vermont Statutes 10.4709)